New Delhi: On Tuesday, the Supreme Court declined to hold an emergency hearing on a petition requesting Army protection for the Kuki tribal group in the midst of ethnic violence in the Indian state of Manipur.
Justices Surya Kant and M.M. Sundresh, sitting as a vacation bench, have ruled that this is entirely a matter of law and order.
On behalf of the non-governmental organisation Manipur Tribal Forum, senior advocate Colin Gonsalves brought up the issue.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued against the request for a speedy hearing by saying that security forces are already on the scene.
On July 3, the Supreme Court scheduled a hearing on the case.
The Kuki tribals in the northeastern state of Manipur have been the target of accusations from the Manipur Tribal Forum that the central government and the chief minister of Manipur are engaged in a "ethnic cleansing" campaign.
The NGO asked the Supreme Court to protect the Kuki tribals from the Army and warned the court against believing the "empty assurances" offered by the Centre.
Since the violence between the Meitei and Kuki groups in Manipur broke out over a month ago, more than a hundred people have been killed.
On May 3, when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was arranged in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) classification, riots broke out in Manipur.
Meiteis make up around 53% of Manipur's population and are concentrated in the region around Imphal. Forty percent of the people that call the hill districts home are tribal people like the Nagas and Kukis.—Inputs from Agencies
